William Hague quits as foreign secretary in cabinet reshuffle - BBC News BBC News William Hague quits as foreign secretary in cabinet reshuffle 15 July 2014 Close share panel Media captionNewsnight's Allegra Stratton looks back at William Hague's political career William Hague has stood down as foreign secretary, but will stay in the cabinet as Leader of the Commons, Downing Street has said. At least 12 men will leave their posts in the significant reshuffle, including Ken Clarke who is standing down. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is leaving the cabinet and is expected to be replaced by education minister Liz Truss. Philip Hammond has accepted the role of foreign secretary. Labour described the reshuffle as "the massacre of the moderates". Mr Hague is to leave Parliament at the 2015 general election after 26 years as MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire. Senior ministers have told the BBC that the current defence secretary, Philip Hammond, will replace Mr Hague. Image caption William Hague leaves Downing Street after a brief visit on Tuesday morning Prime Minister David Cameron said: "William Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets.

"Not only has he been a first-class foreign secretary - he has also been a close confidant, a wise counsellor and a great friend. "He will remain as first secretary of state and my de facto political deputy in the run up to the election - and it is great to know that he will be a core part of the team working to ensure an outright Conservative victory." Ken Clarke told Radio 4's Today programme that he felt it was "time to step down". He said: "If you do work beyond the normal retirement age, I think actually you should prepare to decide you're going to go before people are starting to scratch their head and think of reasons to get rid of you." Speaking on Mr Cameron's latest changes, he said: "He doesn't have many reshuffles which is a very good thing so ministers find out what their job is and then he wants a reshuffle, which looks like the sort of government he wants in the next Parliament.

"That's what he's done and guys like me who have done a few decades in government took the opportunity to retire." He added it was "superficial" for people to become obsessed with the gender balance of the cabinet and that Mr Cameron had made "enormous efforts" to get women in. Analysis Chris Mason, BBC political correspondent As reshuffles go, this is David Cameron's biggest. And if you want to know how it looks, you needn't look any further than a tweet from Conservative MP Alistair Burt: "I'm really worried that this reshuffle will leave the PM short of middle aged white men in Govt. I'm selflessly ready Dave!" In other words, there is something of a cull of what critics have called "the male, pale and stale" and what is expected next is the promotion of faces and voices that are seen to better represent contemporary Britain. So popping up on a telly near you soon: more ministers who are women and more ministers with regional accents, in more prominent roles. Mr Hague said: "I am delighted to be able to serve as Leader of the House of Commons, and to be able to campaign for Conservative candidates across the country.

I want to finish in frontline politics as I began - speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters. "After the general election I will return to my writing, while still giving very active support to the Conservative Party and campaigning on international causes I believe in." The prime minister is understood to have held a series of meetings in his House of Commons office on Monday with ministers. Astonishing early success, followed by bitter failure and a rise to the top of national - and even international - politics BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the current occupant of the Commons leader post, ex-health secretary Andrew Lansley, had left the government. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is effectively being fired, our correspondent added. Other Conservative MPs to have lost or left their ministerial jobs include: David Jones, ex-Welsh secretary Sir George Young, ex-chief whip Nick Hurd, ex-minister for civil society Hugh Robertson, ex-Foreign Office minister Greg Barker, ex-energy minister Alan Duncan, ex-international development minister Andrew Robathan, ex-Northern Ireland minister Damian Green, ex-policing minister. Image copyright PA During his 44 years in the Commons, Mr Clarke spent more than 20 years as a minister - latterly as minister without portfolio.

He held a number of top cabinet positions under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including home secretary and chancellor of the exchequer, and tried and failed three times to become Conservative leader. In 1997, he lost out to Mr Hague, who went on to lead the party until 2001. Nick Robinson said Mr Clarke has told friends that at the age of 74 he has had enough of red boxes and "enjoyed three days at last week's Test match in anticipation of today's announcement". He became justice secretary in 2010 and has held his current role since 2012. Former Conservative Party leader Lord Howard told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "It is quite a moment. Ken has made the most extraordinary contribution to our public life. He was an outstanding chancellor of the exchequer." Analysis By Nick Robinson, BBC Political Editor On Monday the losers learnt their fate. Now we will discover who are the winners in a reshuffle made more dramatic and more wide-ranging by the decision of William Hague to quit the post he has filled for four years.

Read more from Nick And former Conservative deputy PM Lord Heseltine told the BBC News Channel: "Ken has been a fantastic servant of this country, and also of the Conservative Party, but there just is a time when you have to face up to it: the generation moves on. "You won't have heard the last of Ken, believe me." He was one of the most pro-European voices at the top of the Conservative Party. Mr Cameron is expected to use the reshuffle to promote more women within ministerial ranks. Downing Street said replacements for the outgoing ministers would be announced on Tuesday. Labour MP Michael Dugher, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said the reshuffle "speaks volumes about David Cameron's leadership". On the reports of Mr Hammond taking over as foreign secretary, he added: "Britain's foreign policy is now set to be led by a man who has talked about taking us out of the EU.

"The Tories are now retreating out of Europe with all the threat that poses to jobs and business in Britain." Philip Hammond Succeeds William Hague As Foreign Secretary In Cabinet Reshuffle | The Huffington Post Philip Hammond Succeeds William Hague As Foreign Secretary In Cabinet Reshuffle 15/07/2014 08:14 | Updated 15 July 2014 The Huffington Post UK Philip Hammond has replaced William Hague as foreign secretary after Hague's shock departure from the cabinet, in a reshuffle dubbed the cull of "middled aged-white men". William Hague surprised Westminster on Monday evening by announcing he would quit as foreign secretary, as David Cameron culled male ministers of all ranks as part of a wide-ranging reshuffle expected to see the promotion of several women to top jobs. Hammond, previously defence secretary, was announced as the new foreign secretary on Tuesday morning. He will take over as Cameron looks to begin negotiating for Britain a looser relationship with the EU ahead of an in/out referendum in 2017.

Philip Hammond is one 'middle-aged white man' tipped to do well in the reshuffle Hammond has previously said he would vote to leave the union if a referendum were held now as Brussels holds too many powers. Lib Dem Jeremy Browne, who served under Hague as a coalition Foreign Office minister, paid tribute to his former boss. "I greatly admired William Hague as foreign secretary. Much respected internationally; also a calmly disciplined and professional politician," he said. But Browne had harsher words for Hague's successor. "Philip Hammond as foreign secretary. Seriously? Quibbling over micro detail of EU communiques: tick. A big global vision for Britain: errr," he said. Philip Hammond as Foreign Secretary. Seriously? Quibbling over micro detail of EU communiques: tick. A big global vision for Britain: errr. — Jeremy Browne (@JeremyBrowneMP) July 14, 2014 Hague will replace Andrew Lansley as leader of the House of Commons until 2015 - when he will step down from parliament. Hague was first elected in 1989 and served as Welsh secretary under John Major before succeeding him as Conservative Party leader in 1997.

He stood down as leader in 2001 after losing the general election to Labour and Tony Blair, but was persuaded to return to frontline politics in 2005 when Cameron took over the party. The Richmond MP said on the role as leader of the Commons meant he would "finish in politics as I began – speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters". "From May 2015, after such a long period in politics I want to embark on many other things I have always wanted to do. Renewal in politics is good, and holding office is not an end in itself. After 26 years as an MP time will be right for me to move on," he said. The prime minister said Hague would continue to play a key role in the Conservative Party's election campaign as his "de facto political deputy". CAMERON'S CULL The reshuffle was dubbed a "cull of middle-aged white men" by the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. Veteran cabinet minister Ken Clarke has also stepped down from the government as expected. Other big names to go include environment secretary Owen Paterson, Attorney General Dominic Grieve, Wales secretary David Jones and chief whip Sir George Young.

Development minister Alan Duncan, universities minister David Willetts, energy minister Greg Barker and police minister Damian Green are all also leaving their Whitehall offices. The prime minister is expected to promote several female MPs into his top team in order to combat accusations that he ignores women. Reshuffle: Who's In And Out 1 On Their Way Up? Liz Truss The wonkish schools minister, who fought off the Tory "turnip Taliban" to be MP for South West Norfolk , is tipped for promotion 2 On Their Way Out? David Jones The Tory Welsh secretary, who previously suggested gay couples could not provide a safe home for children , may be replaced by his deputy, Stephen Crabb. 3 On Their Way Back? Liam Fox Cameron is said to be considering bringing back the top Tory right-winger, who had to resign as defence secretary in 2011 and has spent his time calling for tax cuts. 4 On Their Way Up? Esther McVey The Liverpudlian ex-TV presenter, who is IDS' deputy as employment minister, is expected to get a promotion. 5 On Their Way Out?

Sir George Young Sir George, the chief whip nicknamed "The Bicycling Baronet", may be told to move aside for a new rising star. 6 On Their Way Up? Greg Hands Hands, the deputy chief whip and old ally of George Osborne, may replace Sir George as chief whip. 7 On Their Way Out? Ken Clarke The veteran cabinet minister could be finally on his way out, as speculation mounts that Cameron will dispense with the ex-Tory chancellor, who has a knack for going off-message. 8 On Their Way Up? Nicky Morgan Treasury minister Nicky Morgan, who previously urged the Tories to be more positive , could be in for some good news. 9 On Their Way Out? Owen Paterson Environment secretary and climate change sceptic Owen Paterson could be disposed of in the reshuffle too. 10 On Their Way Out? Andrew Lansley Former health secretary Lansley, who now serves as leader of the House, could be shown the door. But could Cameron bring himself to sack his former boss at Tory HQ?

Reshuffle Surprise As William Hague Quits As Foreign Secretary | The Huffington Post Reshuffle Surprise As William Hague Quits As Foreign Secretary 14/07/2014 22:01 | Updated 15 July 2014 480 Ned Simons Assistant Political Editor, The Huffington Post UK William Hague surprised Westminster on Monday evening by announcing he would quit as foreign secretary, as David Cameron culled male ministers of all ranks as part of a wide-ranging reshuffle expected to see the promotion of several women to top jobs. Hague will replace Andrew Lansley as leader of the House of Commons until 2015 - when he will step down from parliament. Defence secretary Philip Hammond is expected to become the new foreign secretary. He would take over as Cameron looks to begin negotiating for Britain a looser relationship with the EU ahead of an in/out referendum in 2017. Hammond has previously said he would vote to leave the union if a referendum were held today as Brussels holds too many powers. Hague was first elected in 1989 and served as Welsh secretary under John Major before succeeding him as Conservative Party leader in 1997.

He stood down as leader in 2001 after losing the general election to Labour and Tony Blair, but was persuaded to return to frontline politics in 2005 when Cameron took over the party. The Richmond MP said on the role as leader of the Commons meant he would "finish in politics as I began – speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters". "From May 2015, after such a long period in politics I want to embark on many other things I have always wanted to do. Renewal in politics is good, and holding office is not an end in itself. After 26 years as an MP time will be right for me to move on," he said. The prime minister said Hague would continue to play a key role in the Conservative Party's election campaign as his "de facto political deputy". "William Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets," Cameron said. "Not only has he been a first class foreign secretary - he has also been a close confidante, a wise counsellor and a great friend.

He will remain as first secretary of state and my de facto political deputy in the run-up to the election - and it is great to know that he will be a core part of the team working to ensure an outright Conservative victory at the next election." Veteran cabinet minister Ken Clarke has also stepped down from the government as expected. Other big names given the chop, or who have resigned, include environment secretary Owen Paterson, Attorney General Dominic Grieve, Wales secretary David Jones and chief whip Sir George Young. The reshuffle, which got underway early on Monday evening, has been very bad for middle aged white men elected before 2010. Development minister Alan Duncan, universities minister David Willetts, energy minister Greg Barker and police minister Damian Green are all leaving their Whitehall offices. The prime minister is expected to promote several female MPs into his top team in order to combat accusations that he ignores women. Those tipped for advancement include employment minister Esther McVey - who was also seen entering No 10 - education minister Liz Truss and ministerial aide Penny Mordaunt. Other MPs tipped for promotion include Margot James, Amber Rudd and Harriett Baldwin, as the Tory leader seeks to counter criticism that his government is still dominated by men.

Former defence secretary Liam Fox, a darling of the Tory right, could make a comeback to the political front line nearly three years after quitting in a row over his special adviser. The Labour Party seized on the number of modernising Tories who had lost their jobs as evidence that Cameron was lurching to the right. Attack dog shadow cabinet minister Michael Dugher said it was a "massacre of the moderates". “Britain's foreign policy is now set to be led by a man who has talked about taking us out of the EU. The Tories are now retreating out of Europe with all the threat that poses to jobs and business in Britain," he said. "This reshuffle shows how weak David Cameron is, running scared of his own right wing." Lib Dem Jeremy Browne, who served under Hague as a coalition Foreign Office minister, paid tribute to his former boss. "I greatly admired William Hague as foreign secretary. Much respected internationally; also a calmly disciplined and professional politician," he said. But Browne had harsher words for Hague's successor. "Philip Hammond as foreign secretary. Seriously? Quibbling over micro detail of EU communiques: tick. A big global vision for Britain: errr," he said.

Hague departs the Foreign Office amid a series of international crises, including the civil-war in Syria, the rise of extremist forces in Iraq and the recent explosion of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Also on HuffPost: Eurosceptic named new UK foreign minister as EU vote looms Eurosceptic named new UK foreign minister as EU vote looms Katherine Haddon Share View photos Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond arrives at No. 10 Downing Street in London, on July 15, 2014 (AFP Photo/Ben Stansall) More London (AFP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron named eurosceptic Philip Hammond as his new foreign secretary in a major cabinet reshuffle ahead of next year's general election. Former defence secretary Hammond, who replaces William Hague, supports Britain leaving the European Union unless significant powers are returned to London before a referendum promised for 2017. The reshuffle is the biggest since Cameron's Conservative-led coalition government took office in 2010 and marks a bid to broaden his party's appeal at the general election in May 2015. The prime minister has pledged to hold a referendum on Britain leaving the EU if he is re-elected.

Newspapers billed the reshuffle as a cull of the "pale, male and stale" which opened the door for a new wave of women to get ministerial jobs, though women still held less than a quarter of posts. It also saw the government turn more eurosceptic as Cameron seeks to face down the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), which many lawmakers fear could take seats from the Conservatives at the election. "I think it (the reshuffle) will be interpreted in Europe as raising the stakes and showing that this is now getting more serious," Mats Persson, director of the Open Europe think-tank in London, told AFP. The changes were also seen as the first volley in Cameron's battle for re-election next year, with the prime minister's ousting of his friend, the unpopular education minister Michael Gove, seen as a particularly ruthless move. "The real message of the past 24 hours of political drama, live-tweeted on the Cameron Twitter account, is that the prime minister is now entirely focused on next year's election," wrote the left-leaning Guardian in an editorial.

"Belatedly, the prime minister has understood that his too-male, too-southern, too-posh cabinet is a serious political liability," wrote The Times. Opinion polls put the main opposition centre-left Labour party several points ahead of the centre-right Conservatives, with UKIP in third position ahead of Cameron's centrist coalition partners the Liberal Democrats. In his first public comments as foreign secretary, Hammond vowed that his approach to the EU would be one of "enthusiastic engagement with the reform agenda". "But our position is very clear," he told reporters at the Farnborough airshow south-west of London. "It won't be the politicians in smoke-filled rooms who decide whether the deal is the right one. "It will be the British people in a referendum who decide whether the deal is the right one." - 'Won't set the heather alight' - The 58-year-old is seen as a safe pair of hands whose appointment will reassure eurosceptics. "Hammond isn't the kind of politician to set the heather alight," wrote political commentator James Forsyth in a blog posting for the Spectator magazine.

"But the fact that someone who has said that they'd vote to leave (the EU) if substantial powers were not returned to the UK in the renegotiation is now foreign secretary sends a clear message to the rest of the EU." Hammond has been replaced as defence secretary by Michael Fallon, a veteran loyalist. Cameron also said Tuesday he had nominated Jonathan Hill, the leader of parliament's upper chamber House of Lords, as Britain's next EU Commissioner. Hill, a political secretary to former prime minister John Major in the early 1990s, is little known even in Britain. The 53-year-old recently denied he was about to be offered the job, but released a statement on Tuesday saying he was "excited" by the chance to "play a part in reforming the EU". He also stated his support for Britain's continued membership of the EU, saying it should play a leading role. Cameron had promised in opposition to make a third of his government female but the reshuffle left him well short of his goal, despite an increased number of women on the front bench. These include Nicky Morgan, a former lawyer who will take over from Gove as education secretary, and Liz Truss, who takes the environment portfolio.

There are now five women with full cabinet status, up from three before the reshuffle but the same number as Cameron had at the start of his term in 2011. His attempts to breath youth into the front bench has seen its median age fall five years to 47.5. Hague will remain in parliament until the next election but his resignation as foreign secretary marks the end of the political career of a man Cameron called "one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation". A former Tory leader, Hague was a leading voice urging the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before the House of Commons last year voted against conducting missile strikes. Reblog Blog Article | C-SPAN.org British Foreign Secretary William Hague Replaced by Philip Hammond British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stepped down in a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle. Secretary Hague will move to a new post as Leader of the House of Commons and will retire at the end of his current term. Prime Minister David Cameron has named Defense Secretary Philip Hammond to replace Mr. Hague at the Foreign Office.

Secretary Hague came to prominence as leader of the youth wing of the British Conservative Party in the 1980s and later succeeded former Prime Minister John Major as party leader , when the prime minister stepped down after his election defeat in 1997. He served in that role until September 2001. Mr. Hague has made numerous appearances on C-SPAN over the years, including Prime Minister's Questions , where he faced off against Tony Blair. You can watch those appearances and more here . The Times Kuwait William Hague quits as foreign secretary in cabinet reshuffle July 15, 2014, 11:14 am William Hague has stood down as foreign secretary, but will stay in the cabinet as Leader of the Commons, Downing Street has said. There will be at least 12 men leaving their posts in the significant ministerial reshuffle, including Ken Clarke who is standing down. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is among those leaving his post. He is expected to be replaced by education minister Liz Truss. Labour described the reshuffle as "the massacre of the moderates".

Hague is to leave Parliament at the 2015 general election after 26 years as MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire. Senior ministers have told the BBC that the current defence secretary, Philip Hammond, will replace Mr Hague. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "William Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets. "Not only has he been a first class foreign secretary - he has also been a close confidante, a wise counsellor and a great friend. "He will remain as First Secretary of State and my de facto political deputy in the run up to the election - and it is great to know that he will be a core part of the team working to ensure an outright Conservative victory." Ken Clarke told Radio 4's Today programme, he felt it was "time to step down".

He said: "If you do work beyond the normal retirement age, I think actually you should prepare to decide you're going to go before people are starting to scratch their head and think of reasons to get rid of you." Speaking on Mr Cameron's latest changes, he said: "He doesn't have many reshuffles which is a very good thing so ministers find out what their job is and then he wants a reshuffle, which looks like the sort of government he wants in the next parliament. "That's what he's done and guys like me who have done a few decades in government took the opportunity to retire." He added it was "superficial" for people to become obsessed with the gender balance of the cabinet and that Mr Cameron had made "enormous efforts" to get women in. As reshuffles go, this is David Cameron's biggest. And if you want to know how it looks, you needn't look any further than a tweet from Conservative MP Alistair Burt: "I'm really worried that this reshuffle will leave the PM short of middle aged white men in Govt.

I'm selflessly ready Dave!" In other words, there is something of a cull of what critics have called "the male, pale and stale" and what is expected next is the promotion of faces and voices that are seen to better represent contemporary Britain. So popping up on a telly near you soon: more ministers who are women and more ministers with regional accents, in more prominent roles. Mr Hague said: "I am delighted to be able to serve as Leader of the House of Commons, and to be able to campaign for Conservative candidates across the country. I want to finish in frontline politics as I began - speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters. "After the general election I will return to my writing, while still giving very active support to the Conservative Party and campaigning on international causes I believe in." The prime minister is understood to have held a series of meetings in his House of Commons office on Monday with ministers. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the current occupant of the Commons leader post, ex-health secretary Andrew Lansley, had left the government. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is effectively being fired, our correspondent added.

Other Conservative MPs to have lost or left their ministerial jobs include: David Jones, ex-Welsh secretary William Hague to resign as foreign secretary in major Tory reshuffle | Politics | The Guardian Close This article is 2 years old William Hague is to stand down as foreign secretary with immediate effect and will take on the lesser role of leader of the House of Commons as David Cameron embarked on the most far reaching reshuffle of the parliament that was dubbed a new "night of the long knives". A far wider than expected cull of male ministers saw the former chancellor Kenneth Clarke leave the government alongside Damian Green, the policing minister, Dominic Grieve , the attorney general, and David Willetts, the universities and science minister. Philip Hammond, the highly eurosceptic defence secretary, emerged as the leading candidate to replace Hague at the foreign office. Hammond, who said last year that he would vote to leave the EU if it remained in its present form, would assume the mantle of the cabinet's most senior eurosceptic as foreign secretary.

As shell-shocked former ministers walked the corridors of Westminster on Monday night – ahead of the promotion today of a series of women at all levels of the government – there were the first signs of a backlash as the scale of the cull of middle aged men became clear. "It's the night of the long knives and that went really well last time," one Tory said sarcastically, referring to Harold Macmillan's desperate attempt to shore up his government in 1962 when he sacked a third of his cabinet. Tories on the right of the party were also alarmed by the sacking of the arch eurosceptic Owen Paterson as environment secretary. They are hoping that Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, will return. There were suggestions that he would be offered a middle ranking post. In the prime minister's most far reaching reshuffle, Downing Street announced that Hague will take on the role of leader of the House of Commons before he stands down as MP for Richmond at the election to allow him to focus on his writing career. A major reshaping of Whitehall was also signalled as it became clear that Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the home civil service who had clashed with the cabinet office minister Francis Maude, will retire next spring.

Kerslake turns 60 in February, the usual retirement date for senior civil servants. The ministerial reshuffle was signalled when the former chancellor Kenneth Clarke , who has championed the European cause as a member of every Tory government since 1972, resigned from the cabinet with a warning to Cameron that he will remain in parliament to fight in favour of Britain's membership of the EU. The prime minister praised the outgoing foreign secretary as "one of the leading lights of the Conservative party for a generation" as Hague announced his intention to stand down. Hague's move to become leader of the Commons has echoes of the path taken by Robin Cook after the 2001 election. But that was a clear demotion, unlike Hague whose decision to stand down at the election paved the way for a less onerous cabinet post. The surprise announcement about Hague, who will remain as a member of the national security council and will play a leading role in reaching out to voters in the north of England in the run up to the election, followed a wider-than-expected cull of middle aged male ministers. As expected Sir George Young, the chief whip, and David Jones, the Wales secretary, were sacked from the cabinet.

There was surprise in Tory ranks as Stephen Hammond, the transport minister, Hugh Robertson, the foreign office minister, and Nick Hurd – son of the former foreign secretary Lord Hurd of Westwell – who was minister for civil society, were all sacked. Alan Duncan, the international development minister, and Greg Barker, the climate change minister who was an early supporter of Cameron during the 2005 Tory leadership contest, left the government at their own request. As expected, the universities and science minister David "two brains" Willetts lost his job as did the Northern Ireland Office Andrew Robathan, another early Cameron supporter. Willetts, who is to stand down as an MP at the election, was praised by the prime minister who told him: "I have been proud to have 'two brains' at the heart of my team, both in opposition and in government and you, in turn, can take enormous pride in the contribution you have made." Tory sources have made clear that Cameron wants the "old lags" to move on to make way for women and younger men who will be promoted on the second day of the reshuffle on Tuesday.

Esther McVey, the employment minister and former breakfast television presenter, Liz Truss, the childcare minister, Nicky Morgan, the women's minister, Amber Rudd, the whip, Anna Soubry, the defence minister, Priti Patel and Margot James, members of the No 10 policy board, are all expected to be promoted. This should take the prime minister close to his target of ensuring that a third of his ministers are women. One senior Tory warned of tokenism as the prime minister prepares to promote large numbers of women. "This really is the worst form of tokenistic gesture politics," one senior figure said. "Merit is out of the window." The departure of Hague overshadowed all the other departures at Westminster where it had been assumed that he would remain as foreign secretary until the election, although it had been widely thought he might stand down next year to return to writing history books. Hague led the Conservatives in opposition from 1997 until 2001, when he resigned after being heavily defeated by Tony Blair at the general election.

Paying a warm tribute to Hague, Cameron said: "William Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets. Not only has he been a first class foreign secretary – he has also been a close confidant, a wise counsellor and a great friend. He will remain as first secretary of state and my de facto political deputy in the run up to the election – and it is great to know that he will be a core part of the team working to ensure an outright Conservative victory at the next election." Hague, who will remain as a member of the national security council, said: "By the time of the general election next year, I will have served 26 years in the House of Commons and it will be 20 years since I first joined the cabinet. In government there is a balance to strike between experience on the one hand and the need for renewal on the other, and I informed the prime minister last summer that I would not be a candidate at the next general election.

"Accordingly I am stepping aside as foreign secretary, in order to focus all my efforts on supporting the government in parliament and gaining a Conservative victory in the general election – after four years in which we have transformed Britain's links with emerging economies, significantly expanded our diplomatic network and the promotion of British exports, restored the Foreign Office as a strong institution, and set a course to a reformed European Union and a referendum on our membership of it." Clarke, the former chancellor, made clear that is prepared for a final great battle of his political career in the runup to the prime minister's planned EU referendum in 2017. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, typed on plain paper, Clarke said that the case for Britain's membership of the EU is stronger than ever. Setting himself at odds with the prime minister, who says that Britain's current EU membership terms are unacceptable, Clarke wrote: "I intend to remain as an active backbencher in the House of Commons. My belief in Britain's membership of the European Union remains as firm as ever and I think the political and economic case is made even stronger in today's globalised economy and dangerously disturbed world.

We must not diminish Britain's ability to influence events in the next few decades." Clarke, who secured his first job as a whip in 1972 in Edward Heath's government, made a point of making a high-profile Downing Street visit to the prime minister, who is 26 years his junior, rather than seeing Cameron in the more discreet setting of his House of Commons office. Friends of Clarke, who recently celebrated his 74th birthday, say he was in a jovial mood on Monday as he joked with colleagues that he was looking forward to enjoying more time watching his beloved cricket. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, he wrote: "I have been doing red boxes at night for a high proportion of my adult life. There are plenty of other able people who could take on the work that I was doing in government and I think the time has come to return to being a veteran backbencher." Some of Clarke's friends have said that the prime minister is risking Britain's membership with what they regard as pointless rows such as the recent one over the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission. Clarke recently undermined the prime minister by questioning why everyone was making such a fuss over Juncker.

UK's top diplomat William Hague resigns as Cameron shuffles pack UK's top diplomat William Hague resigns as Cameron shuffles pack By Andrew Osborn Pin it Share British Foreign Secretary William Hague arrives for a meeting in Vienna July 13, 2014. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader More By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced his surprise resignation on Monday night ahead of a closely-fought national election next May as part of Prime Minister David Cameron's biggest ever reshuffle of top government jobs. Hague, Britain's most senior diplomat for the past four years and a former leader of Cameron's Conservative party, said he was standing down with immediate effect to take up a more junior ministerial post. Citing government sources, local media tipped Philip Hammond, the current defence secretary, as Hague's successor. If confirmed, that would send a powerful signal to Britain's European allies as Hammond has said he would rather leave the European Union if Cameron can't get better membership terms. The British leader has promised to try to reshape Britain's EU ties if re-elected next year before giving voters an EU membership referendum, something opinion polls show could be a close contest.

Cameron heaped lavish praise on Hague who is thought to have taken the decision to resign himself. Hague said he would also be stepping down as a member of Britain's parliament next May after 26 years. "Tonight I am standing down as Foreign Secretary after 4 years to serve as Leader of the House of Commons," Hague wrote on his official Twitter account. Hague's new role will see him coordinating the government's business in the lower house of Britain's parliament. "Renewal in politics is good, and holding office is not an end in itself," said Hague. Cameron, who is known to count Hague, 53, as a friend, said he wanted to pay "an enormous tribute" to the outgoing foreign secretary, saying he would remain his de facto political deputy and play an important role in helping Cameron contest the next election. Cameron, the leader of the Conservative party, is carrying out what is expected to be a final reshuffle of top government jobs before a national election next May and is likely to announce a raft of new appointments on Tuesday.

Lagging the opposition Labour party in the opinion polls by between three and seven percentage points, he is expected to promote a raft of women to senior posts to correct a perceived gender imbalance and to dismiss several older men. The Labour party has repeatedly criticised Cameron for what it says is his "women problem" - a relative lack of females in top cabinet jobs. Hague had been expected to stand down as a member of parliament at the next election anyway, something he said on Monday he'd still do. But he had been expected to continue as Britain's top diplomat until then and his resignation came as a surprise. Local media said Hammond would replace Hague as Foreign Secretary though that could not be independently confirmed. Cameron's office said in a statement the British leader had also accepted the resignation of seven ministers including Kenneth Clarke, a minister without portfolio and a veteran supporter of Britain's EU membership. The departure of Clarke, 74, is likely to be interpreted as a sign that Cameron is becoming more Eurosceptic after his failure to stop Jean-Claude Juncker becoming the president of the European Commission, the EU's executive.

Cameron's party came a humiliating third in European elections in Britain in May and is under pressure from the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) which won those elections. Liam Fox, a former defence minister, and a high-profile Eurosceptic is being tipped for a big job in Tuesday's reshuffle in another sign that Cameron wants to show voters and parts of his party that he is ready to take a harder line with the EU. Cameron may also announce on Tuesday his preferred candidate for Britain's next European Commissioner amid signs he may nominate a woman from Britain's upper house of parliament for the important role. (Editing by Guy Faulconbridge) Philip Hammond: Eurosceptic with the stamina to take PM's fight to Brussels | Politics | The Guardian Philip Hammond Philip Hammond: Eurosceptic with the stamina to take PM's fight to Brussels Hammond, set to replace William Hague as foreign secretary, is regarded by the Conservative party as an impressive operator Phillip Hammond was one of four cabinet ministers to abstain over the issue of gay marriage.

Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Monday 14 July 2014 20.15 EDT First published on Monday 14 July 2014 20.15 EDT Close This article is 2 years old Philip Hammond is regarded by the top of the Conservative party as an impressive operator, who has presided over steep budget cuts, preparations for an exit from Afghanistan and a large redundancy programme at the Ministry of Defence without attracting too many negative tabloid headlines. His grasp of detail, some might say bordering on control freakery, may have appealed to David Cameron searching for someone with the stamina to repatriate powers from Brussels and renegotiate relations with the EU. What would attract many others in the Tory party is that he is considered a staunch Eurosceptic. Last year, he agreed with Michael Gove, the education secretary, that he would vote for a British exit unless there were changes to the relationship. "If the choice is between a European Union written exactly as it is today and not being a part of that then I have to say that I'm on the side of the argument that Michael Gove has put forward," he said.

"I believe that we have to negotiate a better solution that works better for Britain if we are going to stay in." He was also one of four cabinet ministers to abstain over the issue of gay marriage, having argued the plans were too controversial. If Hammond is appointed to one of the great offices of state , it would mark the further rise of those who have worked closely with George Osborne. As the chancellor's deputy in opposition, he would probably have been made chief secretary to the Treasury were it not for the position going to a Liberal Democrat in the coalition. Instead, he was made transport secretary, followed by defence secretary following the resignation of Liam Fox. But despite his history with Osborne, Hammond has also clashed with the Treasury, defending his budget against further defence cuts with a public warning that there would need to be an "adult conversation" about how further cuts would affect the UK's ability to defend itself. The 58-year-old minister was educated at a state school in Essex before studying politics, philosophy at Oxford university.

But despite a slightly more modest background than some of his colleagues, he is thought to be one of the richest members of the cabinet following a business career in manufacturing, consultancy, property and energy, before becoming MP for Runnymede and Weybridge in 1997. Not the most charismatic of senior Tories, the former businessman is nevertheless known as "Big Phil" at Conservative HQ. Foreign secretary says status quo 'not in Britain's interest' and he would vote to leave without renegotiation of UK relationship Published: 20 Jul 2014

Question: Who replaced William Hague as Foreign Secretary in July 2014?
Answer: Philip Hammond